San Francisco 49ers Dream Team

As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of

the game being in constant change, conventional wisdom

suggests that players from different eras cannot be compared.

However, I have decided to defy that notion. 

I have taken on the daunting task of compiling an All-Time San

Francisco 49ers team. 

There are some rigid criteria. The player needed to have played

at least four seasons as a 49er. Since the free agency era began

30 years ago, that standard needs to be in place. While Deion

Sanders is Hall-of-Famer, he does not get considered because

he was only a 49er for one year. However, if you are in the Hall

-of-Fame and played four years as a 49er, you are on the team, no

questions asked. The number of All-Pro seasons are a top

consideration with longevity also helping immensely. While I

understand it is hard to compare eras, I’m not going to convolute

this discussion. 

Generational reminders

For the Generation X-ers, 1981-1998 were the Golden Age for the

49ers but playing on any of those teams alone does not get you a

spot on this team. For the Kezar Stadium dwellers, there’s room for

affection for John Brodie but he does not get selected over Joe

Montana. From 1999-present, the 49ers have been mostly mediocre

to bad but I’m not going to slight that era either. 

OFFENSE

Quarterback

First team -- Joe Montana. Honorable mention -- Steve Young,
Y.A. Tittle. 

I was going to select only two quarterbacks but I'll make an exception.

This is a no-brainer. Two first ballot Hall of Famers. Montana was

an eight-time All-Pro who led the 49ers to four Super Bowls and

one of the greatest clutch performers in sports history. He was the

Sammy Baugh of his generation. Young had a more checkered

postseason track record but led the franchise to a fifth Super Bowl

title in 1994 and was a two-time NFL MVP. Though Tittle's best
seasons came as a New York Giant, he is in the Hall of Fame and
was part of the Million Dollar Backfield.

Running back

First team -- Hugh McElhenny, Frank Gore. Honorable mention

-- Roger Craig, Garrison Hearst. 

McElhenny is a Hall-of-Famer that made many jailbreak-like runs.

The reason his stats were not more gaudy was sharing carries

with backfield-mate Joe Perry. Gore is the franchise’s all-time

rushing leader and third in NFL history. Gore, who is now a Buffalo

Bill, will likely be a Hall-of-Famer. Craig became the first in NFL

history to record 1,000 yards both rushing a receiving. As for

Hearst, on two occasions, he won the NFL Comeback Player of

the Year award. 

Fullback

First team -- Joe Perry. Honorable mention -- Ken Willard. 

Perry is a Hall-of-Famer and was the franchise’s leading rusher

until Gore broke his record. Willard was a versatile four-time Pro

Bowler. 

Wide receiver 

First team -- Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens. Honorable mention --

Billy Wilson, Dwight Clark. 

Rice and Owens actually did play together from 1996-2000. Both

are in the Hall-of-Fame. The former holds virtually every NFL

receiving record. Owens was a lightning rod that played for multiple

teams that couldn’t get rid of him fast enough but you can’t deny

his talent and performance. Wilson and Clark each took turns as

the franchise’s leading receiver until some guy named Rice came

along. Clark’s iconic play known as The Catch changed the

direction of two franchises -- the 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. 

Tight end 

First team -- Brent Jones. Honorable mention -- Vernon Davis. 

One of these two is keeping the seat warm for current 49er tight

end George Kittle, who is in his third season and putting up historic

numbers. Jones and Davis had similar stats and All Pro seasons but

a slight nod to Jones for being on Pro Football Reference’s All-

Decade team (1990s). 

Offensive line

Tackle

First team -- Bob St. Claire, Joe Staley. Honorable mention --

Harris Barton, Steve Wallace. 

Regardless of position, St. Claire and Staley are the best offensive

linemen in franchise history. The latter is still active while the former

is a Hall-of-Famer who ate raw meat before games. Barton and

Wallace were stalwarts for three Super Bowl teams. Barton was a

two-time All Pro and once had a streak of starting 89 consecutive

games. 

Guard 

First team -- Bruno Banducci, Randy Cross. Honorable mention

-- Guy McEntyre, Mike Iupati. 

Banducci was a seven-time All Pro, which is impressive in any era.

So what if he played in the 1940s and 1950s. Cross was an All Pro

at both center and guard. McEntyre and Iupati had two distinct styles.

The former could pull, trap and lead a sweep with the best. The

latter was a road-grader. 

Center

First team -- Forest Blue. Honorable mention -- Jesse Sapolu. 

Blue was a first-team All Pro for three straight years and Pro Bowler

four years in a row. Enough said. Sapolu was versatile enough to play

guard and center for three Super Bowl champions. He was a two-time

All Pro. 

DEFENSE

Defensive end

First team -- Cedric Hardman, Tommy Hart. Honorable mention --

Justin Smith, Fred Dean. 

Hardman and Hart are the franchise’s all-time leaders in sacks. Dean,

who is in the Hall-of-Fame, had a short 49er career but was a huge

reason for the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 1981. Smith, who was
nicknamed “The Cowboy,” was physical and versatile enough to
play both end and tackle.

Defensive tackle

First team -- Leo Nomellini, Bryant Young. Honorable mention --
Michael Carter, Charlie Krueger. 

Nomellini is not only a Hall-of-Famer but six of his nine seasons were

All-Pro campaigns. Young is a current Hall-of-Fame finalist that had

an amazing 13-year career. Krueger had just two All Pro seasons but

15 very effective ones. Carter gets a slight edge of Dana Stubblefield.

Outside linebacker

First team -- Charles Haley and Dave Wilcox. Honorable mention --

Keena Turner, Julian Peterson. 

Haley and Wilcox are in the Hall-of-Fame. Wilcox was underrated, if

that’s possible when you are a seven-time All Pro. Haley could be on

the team either as a 4-3 end or 3-4 linebacker. Turner was the epitome

of underrated because he was overshadowed by many great players

on four Super Bowl teams. Peterson was incredibly versatile.

Inside linebacker -- Patrick Willis, Matt Hazeltine. Honorable mention

-- Frank Nunley, Navorro Bowman. 

Regardless of position, Willis is one of the best players in franchise

history. Hazeltine was a six-time All Pro. Nunley was never an All Pro

but extremely consistent. Bowman was tremendous in tandem with

Willis.

Free safety 

First team -- Ronnie Lott. Honorable mention -- Dwight Hicks. 

Lott is a Hall-of-Famer and one of the most ferocious hitters in NFL

history. He was to the defense what Montana was to the offense. In a

matter of two years, 1979-1981, the 49ers drafted an entire secondary

that was one of the best in NFL history (Lott, Hicks, Carlton Williamson

and Eric Wright).

Strong safety 

First team -- Tim McDonald. Honorable mention -- Carlton Williamson. 

Both were similar players in that they were physical in both the passing

and running games. It was like having an extra linebacker. McDonald

gets the nod for being a six-time All Pro. Because he played in such

a talented secondary, it was easy to overlook Williamson. 

Cornerback

First team -- Jimmy Johnson and Eric Wright. Honorable mention --

Don Griffin and Eric Davis.

Johnson is the second leading interceptor in franchise history

behind Ronnie Lott. You’ve probably heard of him. Plus, Johnson is

in the Hall-of-Fame. Wright gets the nod for longevity of nine years,

two as an All Pro. Griffin was quietly consistent for eight years as a

49er. Davis was frequently challenged but routinely responded. He

was an All Pro in 1995. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker -- Joe Nedney. Honorable mention -- Ray Wersching. 

Nedney tends to be forgotten because from 2005-2010, the 49ers

never made the playoffs. Nedney also played for seven different

teams before becoming a 49er in 2005. Wersching, who played for

the 49ers from 1977-1987, remains the franchise’s all-time leading

scorer. Nedney gets the nod for better accuracy and had a much

higher success rate from 40 yards or longer than Wersching. 

Punter -- Andy Lee. Honorable mention -- Tommy Davis. 

Lee has a 46.6 career average, slightly ahead of Davis’ 44.7. Lee

gets the nod as a four-time All Pro. 

Returner -- Abe Woodson. Honorable mention -- Dana McLemore. 

Woodson’s franchise records will likely never be broken. McLemore

was an underrated reason why the 49ers were Super Bowl champs

in 1984. 

Head coach -- Bill Walsh. Honorable mention -- George Seifert. 

Walsh was the mastermind behind one of the best dynasties in pro

sports history. Though Seifert was the head coach for two of the five

Super Bowls, he gets overlooked because inherited a well-stocked
cupboard after Walsh retired. Seifert, however, kept the 49ers
winning and was the defensive coordinator on two of the three Super
Bowls under Walsh. He was a defensive backs coach for the other. 

Team -- 1984. The 1984 team went 18-1 with only a three-point loss

to Pittsburgh. Slight edge over the 1989 team because it had less

star power and took apart the Chicago Bears 23-0 in the NFC Title

Game. The same Bears team that went 18-1 the following year. The

1989 team went 17-2, losing those games by a combined five points.